Earthquakes

Earthquakes in McKinney

A severe earthquake striking near the City of McKinney is not very likely, but the possibility of experiencing a distant earthquake’s effects are still there. The numerous earthquakes that occurred in Oklahoma in November of 2011 have illustrated this, as effects from those earthquakes were felt around the North Texas region. However, this is no indication that dormant fault lines in Texas are awakening and becoming active again.

As defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), an earthquake is a sudden, rapid shaking of the earth caused by the release of energy stored in rocks. As an earthquake occurs, seismic waves are transmitted in all directions causing the vibration or ground motion commonly experienced during this type of event. Seismic waves are grouped into three types:

P (primary) waves are the first waves to cause ground motion and travel through the earth’s interior at approximately 150,000 mph (39,000 km/h)

S (secondary or shear) waves travel slower than P waves and produce the most damage by forcing structures to sway from side to side

Surface waves are the slowest of the three waves, travel along the earth’s surface, and contribute the most damage to high-rise buildings